Ground air gun mounting support



May 26, 1964 R. w. FARNELL ETAL 3,134,445

GROUND AIR GUN MOUNTING SUPPORT Filed Sept. 28. 1961 United States Patent O 3,134,446 GROUND AIR GUN MOUNTING SUPPORT Ralph W. Farnell, Rockwell City, and Gail H. Albinger, Lytton, Iowa Filed Sept. 28, 1961, Ser. No. 141,531 4 Claims. (Cl. 173-24) This invention relates to air gun equipment for installing pipes under pavement or like and more particularly to a movable mounting support for the air gun and associated equipment.

One of the most diilcult tasks is the installation of pipes, tubes, or like under concrete walks, streets and buildings. Nevertheless such installations are necessary for the running of gas lines, water pipes, underground electrical conduit tubes and like. Usually an air pressure actuated gun is used to Veither drill the pipe under the concrete or to hammer it through the ground below the concrete. Obviously several skilled workmen are required to complete the task, and even then the pipe usually comes out of the ground at the other side of the pavement or like, at an unanticipated objectionable point.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of our invention is to provide a movable support for air gun equipment that facilitates the ground installation of a pipe or like.

A further object of this invention is to provide an air gun support mounting that is easily manipulated.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an air gun unit support that causes the air gun to project a pipe or like accurately through the ground below a surface obstacle. Y

A still further object of this invention is to provide a movable support mounting for air guns that will quickly engage and hold an air gun and will quickly release an air gun.

Still further objects of our invention are to provide a support frame for air guns or like that is economical in manufacture, and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Our invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of our device.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the forward end portion of our device, and

FIG. 3 is a reduced side view of our device in use.

As herebefore indicated, our device is for detachably holding an ordinary air gun. This gun may be of the drill type or the hammer type. We have generally designated the housing of an ordinary air gun by the numeral and which has the usual two oppositely extending pipe handles 11 and 12 respectively. The numeral 13 designates a conduit having one end communicating with the inside of the air gun and its other end adapted to be in communication with a source of air or like under pressure. Usually such air guns also have a valved conduit 15 adapted to be in communication with a water source. Extending forwardly from the air gun is its actuating pipe 16. The pipe 17 to be projected under the obstruction may be of several threaded together sections, with a bit or like 19 secured to the forward end of the outermost portion of the pipe. These sections or pipe 17 may be left under the obstruction and become the permanently installed pipe, or if desired, after the hole has been formed the pipe 17 may be pulled out and a permanent pipe fr' CC or tube inserted through the formed hole. In FIG. 3 We show the obstruction in the form of pavement 2t), and the ground under the concrete by the numeral 21. A depression is dug in the ground at each side of the obstruction 20. It is for such conditions that we have provided our device and which we will now describe indetail.

The basic portion of the frame of our device is a wide at treadY sled runner portion 25. This earth engaging runner is elongated and has both its forward end portion and its rear end portion curved upwardly as shown in FIG. l. A strengthening brace 26 extends Vfrom the forward end area of the runner 25, rearwardly and downwardly to the central area of the runner 25. A second strengthening brace means 27 extends from the rear end area of the runner 25, forwardly and downwardly to the central area of the runner 25. The numeral 29 designates a stub tube extending upwardly from the central top area of the sied runner 25. Spaced apart from each other and back of the stub tube 29, are two vertical pipe bars 3l) and 31, respectively. These bars 39 and 31 extend upwardly from the sled runner 25 and are near the two side edges, respectively, of the sled runner 25 as shown in FIG. l. All three members 29, 3i) and 31 are secured together by a brace plate 32. The numeral 33 designates a brace bar having its upper end secured to the bars Sil and 31, and its lower end secured to the top of the sled runner 25. The bar 39 extends upwardly a substantial distance above the bar 31 to provide a handle portion 35. The numeral 36 designates an open notch in the upper forward end of the sled runner 25. The bottom of this notch may have an open U-bearing 37 to receive the length of a pipe 17, or if desired, a ball bearing race bearing means 39 may be detachably secured in the notch by bolt means 4l), and a pipe shaft section 41 rotatably extending therethrough as shown in FIG. 2. If this structure is used the pipe shaft 41 should have external threads on its rear end to detachably receive the pipe section 16, and its forward end internally threaded to detachably receive the forward pipe section 17. The pipe shaft 41 and bearing means 39 should be of the thrust type with a shoulder 42 on the pipe shaft engaging the forward side of the ball bearing race. The numeral 43 designates an arm frame having its forward end operatively hinged to the forward end of the sled runner 25. A pull eye 45 is secured to the rear end of the sled runner 25.

To use our device, the arm 43 is elevated and the air gun rod handle 11 is slid downwardly into the stub tube 29 with the rear end of the air gun extending between the two pipe bars 3Q and 31. If the pipe section 41 is used the air guns actuating pipe shaft 16 is screwed thereon and the forward pipe 17 threaded into the forward end of the section 41. The arm 43 has n ring end portion 46, and the arm is lowered bringing this ring portion around the upper air gun rod handle 12. The air gun unit is then supported for use. The assembly is placed in the depression at the side of the pavement or like as shown in FIG. 3, and by manually steadying the pipe bar 30, the unit may be easily controlled and guided forwardly to successfully position and project the pipe 17 and bit 19 through the ground under the obstruction. Usually the unit is moved forwardly by a pull cable 47 secured to the forward end of the sled runner 25, and connected to a suitable cable pulling means (not shown) After the operation has been completed and it is desirous to withdraw the unit, the eye 45 may be used to pull the device to the rear. To remove the compressed air motor air gun, it is merely necessary to remove it hom the pipe section 41, raise the arm 43, and

lift the air gun and its associated parts from our mov- Yable frame mounting.

chanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

We claim:

1. In an air gun or like mounting,

(a) a at treaded sled runner curved upwardly at each end,

(b) a stub tube extending upwardly from said runner,

(c) two spaced apart upwardly extending -bar memL bers on said runner,

(d) an air gun having a rst bar handle and a second bar handle with said first bar handle detachably extending into said stub tube and the rear end of said gun detachably extending between said two spaced apart bar members,

(e) a bearing means Yon the forward end of said runner, and

(f) an elongated earth penetratingmember supported by said bearing means and operatively secured to said air gun.

2. In an air gun or like mounting,

(a) a fiat treaded sled runner curved upwardly at each end, Y

(b') a stub tube extending upwardly from said runner,

(c) Ytwo'spaced apart upwardly extending bar members on said runner, n

(d) an air gun having a first bar handle and a second bar handle with said first bar handle detachably extending into said stub tube Vand the rear end of said gun detachably extending between said two spaced apart bar members, Y

(e) a bearing means on the forward'end of said` runner, and

(f) an elongated earth penetrating member supported by` said bearing means and operatively secured to said air gun;

(g) one of said two bar members elongated to provide a handle portion.

3. In an air gun or like mounting,

(a) a at treaded sled runner,

(b) a stub tube extending upwardly from said runner,

(c) two spaced apart upwardly extending bar members on said runner,

(d) an air gun having a bar handle detachably eX- tending into said stub tube and said gun detachably extending between said two spaced apart bar members at a point removed from said bar handle to limit rotational movement of said air gun,

(e) a bearing means on the forward end of said runner,

and

(f) an elongatedrearth penetrating member supported by said bearing means and operatively secured to said air gun. l

4. In an air gun or like mounting,

(a) a iiat treaded sled runner curved upwardly at each end,

(b) a stub tube extending upwardly from said runner,

(c) an upwardly extending member on said runner,

(d) an air gun having a bar handle detachably extending into said stub tube and said upwardlyV extending member adapted to engage said air gun at a point removed from said bar handle to limit rotational movement of said air gun,

() a bearing means on the forward end of said runner,

and

(f) an elongated earth penetrating member supportedY by said bearing means and operatively secured to said air gun.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,699,936 Watchorn Ian. 22, 1929 2,639,931 Kandle May 26, 1953 2,665,117 Ivey Jan. 5, 1954 2,787,064 Schiller Apr. 2, 1957 2,835,472 Osborn May 20, 1958 

1. IN AN AIR GUN OR LIKE MOUNTING, (A) A FLAT TREADED SLED RUNNER CURVED UPWARDLY AT EACH END, (B) A STUB TUBE EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID RUNNER, (C) TWO SPACED APART UPWARDLY EXTENDING BAR MEMBERS ON SAID RUNNER, (D) AN AIR GUN HAVING A FIRST BAR HANDLE AND A SECOND BAR HANDLE WITH SAID FIRST BAR HANDLE DETACHABLY EXTENDING INTO SAID STUB TUBE AND THE REAR END OF SAID GUN DETACHABLY EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID TWO SPACED APART BAR MEMBERS, (E) A BEARING MEANS ON THE FORWARD END OF SAID RUNNER, AND (F) AN ELONGATED EARTH PENETRATING MEMBER SUPPORTED BY SAID BEARING MEANS AND OPERATIVELY SECURED TO SAID AIR GUN. 